July 16, 2015

Metal Blade is now on Bandcamp!

By Andy Osborn. Metal Blade is now on Bandcamp. I was wondering when, if ever, I would get the chance to type those words as that little sentence is about the most exciting news that could land on the desks of our little site. Ubiquitous and world-renowned

Metal Blade is now on Bandcamp. I was wondering when, if ever, I would get the chance to type those words as that little sentence is about the most exciting news that could land on the desks of our little site. Ubiquitous and world-renowned, the California-based label has been arguably the most important supporter of metal over the thirty-three years of its existence. They helped give birth to and nurture extreme metal in all its forms and continue to put out some of the best heavy music in the world.

They've started stocking their page with some of their best artists including the complete catalog of The Black Dahlia Murder and all of Cattle Decapitation's full-lengths save their debut. Not that they need any introduction, but simply seeing these bands on Bandcamp is a joy. The Black Dahlia Murder is THE band that got me interested in extreme metal, and while their recent output hasn't been overtly original, they are still without a doubt one of the best Melodic Death Metal acts on the planet. Their first three albums were absolutely pivotal in forming my tastes in all things extreme, and doubtless this is the case with many people. Cattle Decapitation, on the other hand, are only improving with time. Monolith of Inhumanity ranks in my top five albums ever. It embodies everything I love about metal and shows the long-running Deathgrind weirdos are at the top of their game. Both bands' highly anticipated upcoming albums are up and ready for pre-order.

Artwork by Wes Benscoter

The across the board $10 asking price is a bit high, but knowing that the money is going straight into the hands of this important label makes it worth it. Obviously, we here at Metal Bandcamp are excited. Expect plenty of Metal Blade-centric reviews, roundups, and discography specials in the near future.

Yeah, I also think $10 is a bit on the high side for a digital download. But it's kind of a standard full-album price, as all the larger labels (Relapse, Season of Mist, Earache, and now Metal Blade) are using it.